Karnataka Chief Minister and his daughter, Aishwarya DKS Hegde, are facing criticism after the latter made remarks about the quality of teachers at government schools. Stakeholders have accused the government of shifting the blame to teachers instead of addressing the poor state of the public education system.
According to a report by Deccan Herald, Aishwarya Hegde, an educationist and daughter of Shivakumar, took part in a government-organised CSR event, where she remarked, “More than teacher shortage, low efficiency is the problem.” She was referring to the Karnataka Public School in Doddalahalli, which is receiving support from the National Education Foundation, where she serves as trustee-secretary.
She further said, “Despite paying a salary of ₹1.1 lakh, weren’t coming to school five days a week. We didn’t have the right to check. If we’re spending so much money, we should be able to check if people are coming (to work) regularly. Without accountability, why should we spend our money?”
Following her remarks at the event, CM Shivakumar also expressed disappointment over the commitment of teachers who were being paid salaries of ₹1.5 lakh. However, he clarified that he was not referring to all government school teachers.
The father-daughter duo’s remarks drew criticism from stakeholders across the sector. Members of the Save Public Education Committee accused the government of shifting the blame to school teachers for the poor state of the public education system.
Members of the committee said, “They are effectively trying to shift the blame on teachers while sidestepping the role of the government’s policies in bringing affairs to this state.”
JD(S) MLC A P Ranganath, who represents the Bangalore Teachers’ Constituency, also criticised the remarks made by Shivakumar and his daughter, Aishwarya. He said, “These remarks amount to insulting teachers. Before being appointed to government schools, teachers clear all the required tests conducted by the government to qualify for the . The father-daughter duo needs to understand this.”
Members of the Save Public Education Committee have also flagged concerns that the state government might decide to close all state-run schools. The committee criticised the proposal to allow the adoption of government schools, calling it an ‘anti-people’ move. It alleged that the government was attempting to evade its responsibilities instead of addressing the shortcomings in the public education system.
It said, “The government is even allowing private schools to tag their names along with those of the state-run institutions they adopt.”
The proposal has also drawn criticism from , representatives of student organisations and teachers, who have opposed the state government’s move to invite private educational institutions to adopt government schools.
The All-India Democratic Students’ Organisation called on the government to withdraw the policy.
The RTE Students Parents Association also criticised the decision, reminding the government that education is a fundamental right. It added, “State-run schools are the responsibility of the government concerned.”
